Cause of fatal fire still under investigation

Fire officials are still trying to determine what caused a Monday morning blaze that killed nine people at Academy Crossing Apartments.

Hundreds remember Starkville fire victims

A day after fire killed six children and three women at the Academy Crossing apartment complex, hundreds of people turned out Tuesday night for a candlelight vigil in front of the building’s charred remains.

Friends, neighbors reeling from fatal fire that killed nine

The call came in to the Oktibbeha County E-911 center Monday just after 4:30 a.m. A fire was tearing through the second floor of Building E in the Academy Crossing apartment complex, and nine people were trapped in one unit.

Starkville woman dies in Clay County crash

A 54-year-old Starkville woman died Sunday morning in an accident at U.S. Highway 45 Alternate and Old West Point Road in Clay County.

Supes consider hiring agency to collect fines

The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors is considering whether or not to hire a collection agency to recover more than $1.1 million in unpaid taxes and fines from county residents.

Municipal complex plans moving slowly

STARKVILLE — The effort to build a new municipal complex in Starkville is moving slowly but surely, Mayor Parker Wiseman said Friday, but the city is not yet ready to release details about potential locations. 

Wet year spoils Oktibbeha roads

Oktibbeha County is on pace to receive more precipitation this year than any year on record and, as a result, planned improvements to the county’s roadways have fallen by the wayside.

Police bust counterfeit operation

Larry Pritchard has a history of printing counterfeit money in Mississippi, Wisconsin and Missouri.

Aldermen approve condo project

A new condominium could soon spring up along Highway 182.

The Starkville Board of Aldermen Tuesday night unanimously approved developer Michael Kraker’s request to allow a residential use in a C2 general business district. The .38-acre property is located adjacent to a two-story, two-building apartment complex already owned by Kraker at the corner of North Montgomery Street and Highway 182.

Tea Party groups to rally in Starkville

The new multipurpose gymnasium in the Starkville Sportsplex building on Lynn Lane has a capacity of nearly 1,000 people.

Injured carrier stable, but in intensive care

It’s been a rough nine days for the family of Winston Minor, the Starkville Dispatch carrier who was seriously injured Dec. 6 in a crash on Highway 182.

Starkville celebrates a new sign at Patriot’s Park

When the Starkville Parks and Recreation Department this fall announced a “Name that park” contest for the playground at Whitfield Street and Avenue of Patriots, phone calls began pouring into its Lynn Lane office immediately.

Economist: Education key to healthy economy

The state and national economies are in bad shape, but an emphasis on improving residents’ education could help turn things around, a leading economist said Thursday at Mississippi State University.

Building a healthy hometown: Local group looking to win competition, improve quality of life

City officials in November formed a committee of local business leaders, medical experts and other community members to enter Starkville in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation’s “Healthy Hometown” competition against other municipalities from around the state.

Officials: Avoid fires, check smoke detectors

Fire officials in Starkville are urging residents to check their smoke detectors this winter following two blazes in area homes over the past week.

The most recent incident was reported to Oktibbeha County E-911 around 9 a.m. Tuesday from Azalea Lane, where an electrical fire began behind a wall and the elderly resident’s smoke detector had dead batteries.

Highway 182 overlay still years away

City officials met Wednesday with Mississippi Department of Transportation representatives and learned an overlay of pothole-riddled Highway 182 won’t take place until 2013.

District to test program that touts math, science careers

In an effort to get more female and minority students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related career fields, a group of researchers from Mississippi State University and Mississippi University for Women is teaming up to bring those fields to Starkville School District classrooms.

Sportsplex to add toddler playground

STARKVILLE — The city of Starkville’s Parks and Recreation Department is preparing to add yet another feature to its award-winning Sportsplex facility on Lynn Lane.

Construction will begin soon on a playground designed specifically for toddlers. The playground will feature small sliding boards, decks and rubber ground surfacing for safety.

Police release details of carrier’s accident

The Mississippi Highway Patrol on Tuesday released details about a weekend crash in Clayton Village that left a Dispatch newspaper carrier in critical condition.

Dispatch carrier injured in early Sunday crash

A longtime newspaper carrier, who was preparing to deliver Sunday’s edition of The Starkville Dispatch, was seriously injured when his vehicle was struck by a tractor-trailer.